Image sensors and image processing systems including the same

Abstract

Image sensors and image processing systems including the image sensors are provided. The image sensors may include a signal transmission circuit including a swing width control circuit configured to control a swing width of a signal using feedback.

1 . An image sensor comprising:
 a first signal transmission circuit comprising a first signal transmission line, a first pull-down circuit coupled to the first signal transmission line and a first swing width control circuit coupled to the first pull-down circuit, wherein the first pull-down circuit is configured to output a first signal in response to a selection signal and first data, and wherein the first swing width control circuit is configured to control a first swing width of the first signal; and   a second signal transmission circuit comprising a second signal transmission line, a second pull-down circuit coupled to the second signal transmission line and a second swing width control circuit coupled to the second pull-down circuit, wherein the second pull-down circuit is configured to output a second signal in response to the selection signal and second data that is complementary to the first data, and wherein the second swing width control circuit is configured to control a second swing width of the second signal.   
     
     
         2 . The image sensor of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pixel array comprising a pixel outputting a pixel signal;   an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert the pixel signal into a digital signal;   a memory configured to output the first and second data in response to the digital signal;   a first amplifier configured to amplify the first signal;   a second amplifier configured to amplify the second signal;   a differential amplifier configured to amplify a difference between an output signal of the first amplifier and an output signal of the second amplifier; and   a latch configured to latch an output signal of the differential amplifier in response to a clock signal.   
     
     
         3 . The image sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the first swing width control circuit is configured to control the first swing width using negative feedback, and the second swing width control circuit is configured to control the second swing width using negative feedback. 
     
     
         4 . The image sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the first signal transmission circuit comprises a plurality of first pull-down circuits and a plurality of first swing width control circuits coupled to respective ones of the plurality of first pull-down circuits, and the second signal transmission circuit comprises a plurality of second pull-down circuits and a plurality of second swing width control circuits coupled to respective ones of the plurality of second pull-down circuits. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The image sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the first swing width control circuit comprises:
 a first negative feedback circuit connected to the first signal transmission line; and   a first bias circuit configured to apply a first bias to the first negative feedback circuit.   
     
     
         8 . The image sensor of  claim 7 , wherein the first negative feedback circuit comprises:
 a first pull-up circuit configured to apply an operating voltage to the first signal transmission line in response to a first feedback signal; and   a first feedback signal generation circuit configured to output the first feedback signal in response to the first signal and the first bias applied by the first bias circuit.   
     
     
         9 . The image sensor of  claim 8 , wherein the second swing width control circuit comprises:
 a second negative feedback circuit connected to the second signal transmission line; and   a second bias circuit configured to apply a second bias to the second negative feedback circuit.   
     
     
         10 . The image sensor of  claim 9 , wherein the second negative feedback circuit comprises:
 a second pull-up circuit configured to apply the operating voltage to the second signal transmission line in response to a second feedback signal; and   a second feedback signal generation circuit configured to output the second feedback signal in response to the second signal and the second bias applied by the second bias circuit.   
     
     
         11 . The image sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the first swing width is less than a swing width of the first data. 
     
     
         12 . An image processing system comprising:
 an image sensor; and   a processor configured to process an image data signal output by the image sensor,   wherein the image sensor comprises:   a first signal transmission circuit comprising a first signal transmission line, wherein the first signal transmission circuit is configured to control a first swing width of a first signal on the first signal transmission line using negative feedback, and wherein the first signal is generated in response to a selection signal and first data; and   a second signal transmission circuit comprising a second signal transmission line, wherein the second signal transmission circuit is configured to control a second swing width of a second signal on the second signal transmission line using negative feedback, and wherein the second signal is generated in response to the selection signal and second data that is complementary to the first data.   
     
     
         13 . The image processing system of  claim 12 , wherein the first signal transmission circuit comprises a plurality of first swing width control circuits those are connected to the first signal transmission line and are configured to control the first swing width, and
 the second signal transmission circuit comprises a plurality of second swing width control circuits those are connected to the second signal transmission line and are configured to control the second swing width.   
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The image processing system of  claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of first swing width control circuits comprises:
 a first pull-up circuit configured to apply an operating voltage to the first signal transmission line in response to a first feedback signal; and   a first feedback signal generation circuit configured to output the first feedback signal in response to the first signal and a first bias applied by a first bias circuit, and wherein each of the plurality of second swing width control circuits comprises:   a second pull-up circuit configured to apply the operating voltage to the second signal transmission line in response to a second feedback signal; and   a second feedback signal generation circuit configured to output the second feedback signal in response to the second signal and a second bias applied by a second bias circuit.   
     
     
         17 . An image sensor, comprising:
 a signal transmission circuit, wherein the signal transmission circuit comprises:   a pull-down circuit configured to generate a signal in response to image data; and   a swing width control circuit coupled to an output of the pull-down circuit and configured to control a swing width of the signal to be less than a difference between an operating voltage and a ground voltage of the image sensor.   
     
     
         18 . The image sensor of  claim 17 , wherein the swing width control circuit is configured to control the swing width of the signal using negative feedback. 
     
     
         19 . The image sensor of  claim 17 , wherein the swing width control circuit comprises:
 a feedback circuit; and   a bias circuit coupled to the feedback circuit and configured to apply a bias to the feedback circuit.   
     
     
         20 . The image sensor of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the signal transmission circuit further comprises a signal transmission line coupled to the pull-down circuit and the swing width control circuit; and   the feedback circuit comprises:   a pull-up circuit configured to apply the operating voltage VDD to the signal transmission line in response to a feedback signal; and   a feedback signal generation circuit configured to output the feedback signal in response to the signal and the bias applied by the bias circuit.   
     
     
         21 . The image sensor of  claim 19 , wherein the feedback circuit uses negative feedback to control the swing width of the signal. 
     
     
         22 . The image sensor of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the pull-down circuit comprises one of a plurality of pull-down circuits; and   the swing width control circuit comprises one of a plurality of swing width control circuits arranged in an alternating sequence with the plurality of pull-down circuits.   
     
     
         23 . The image sensor of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the signal transmission circuit comprises a first signal transmission circuit;   the pull-down circuit comprises a first pull-down circuit configured to generate a first signal in response to the image data;   the swing width control circuit comprises a first swing width control circuit coupled to an output of the first pull-down circuit and configured to control a swing width of the first signal to be less than the difference between the operating voltage and the ground voltage; and   the signal transmission circuit further comprises a second signal transmission circuit, wherein the second signal transmission circuit comprises:   a second pull-down circuit configured to generate a second signal in response to the image data; and   a second swing width control circuit coupled to an output of the second pull-down circuit and configured to control a swing width of the second signal to be less than the difference between the operating voltage and the ground voltage.   
     
     
         24 . The image sensor of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 a first amplifier configured to amplify the first signal;   a second amplifier configured to amplify the second signal;   a differential amplifier configured to amplify a difference between an output signal of the first amplifier and an output signal of the second amplifier; and   a latch configured to latch an output signal of the differential amplifier in response to a clock signal.